Volodymyr Ruban, the head of the Officer Corps Center for Prisoner Release, organized the transportation of a large quantity of firearms and ammunition from temporarily uncontrolled territories in Donetsk region, and the first delivery was carried out in November 2017, Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Hrytsak has said.

"He organized illegal transportation of a large quantity of firearms, ammunition and other means of destruction on a Mercedes Sprinter from areas in Donetsk region temporarily beyond the control of the Ukrainian authorities," he told journalists in Kyiv on Friday, March 9.

According to Hrytsak, the first batch of weapons and ammunition "was really imported in November 2017 on the same vehicle."

According to him, during Ruban's detention on March 8, law enforcement officers seized five AK-74 assault rifles, three AKS-74U short assault rifles, one AK-47 assault rifle, two Kalashnikov hand-held machineguns, two 9mm Makarov pistols without marking from shops (made in Russia), four silencers (made in Russia), 46 120mm mortar mines, six MON-50 anti-personnel mines (made in Russia), six 82mm mines, two RPG-22 anti-tank grenade launchers, a 62 mm mortar, 28 VOG-25 grenades, 320 12.7mm cartridges, 1,280 9mm cartridges, 700 7.62mm cartridges, 4,320 5.45mm cartridges, etc.

Photo and video materials, including a video of Ruban's detention, were shown during the briefing.

As reported, on March 8, Ruban was detained at a checkpoint in Donbas with an arsenal of weapons. He was bringing these weapons from the occupied territory to the government-controlled part of Donbas.

Ruban is suspected of preparing armed attacks on the highest state officials, preparing a terrorist act with the use of weapons and explosions that could pose a threat to life and health of people.

In addition, Ruban planned "to use mortars, grenade launchers, small arms and explosive devices to carry out an armed attack on the residences of statesmen, political leaders, in particular: Petro Poroshenko, Arsen Avakov, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Oleksandr Turchynov and others with the purpose of their murder."

According to the suspicion note, Ruban decided to commit a terrorist act to assassinate the president of Ukraine and other top officials, as well as a large number of people in Kyiv to create a "state of chaos, destabilize the internal situation in the state, paint Ukraine to the world community as a state where there is virtually no government power; create conditions under which the forces involved in conducting the anti-terrorist operation will be moved from the Ukraine's east to Kyiv, which "will enable Russia to launch a full-scale offensive and introduce into the territory of Ukraine under the guise of armed 'peacekeeping forces' units of the Russian Armed Forces and illegal armed formations of terrorist organizations "DPR" and "LPR", to continue the military occupation of Ukraine."

Ruban is suspected of committing crimes under Part 1, Article 14, Part 3, Article 258 (preparation of a terrorist attack), Part 1, Article 263 (carrying, possession, acquisition, manufacturing, repair, transfer or sale of firearms, except hunting weapons), ammunition, explosives or explosive devices without statutory permission) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.